Camping with kids in bear country

People's eyes widened at the idea. They snorted with laughter. They called me a hippie in a van (which I didn't mind at all).

I decided to take a week-long trip in my big black van for myself and my two young children while my husband stayed in Edmonton to work. Hey, it was summer, and we wanted an adventure.

Admittedly, camping in a van with two kids and only one adult does sound crazy. Few would knowingly place themselves far from comforts of hot water, change tables, phones and showers. And backup adult intervention.

Despite a few sleepless nights and unexpected events, van camping with my children from Edmonton to Panorama, B.C., was an experience I will always remember and be proud to add to my travel accomplishments. In terms of the unexpected, it was right up there with sleeping on an uninhabited island in Malaysia and boating down the Mekong River, though definitely not so glamourous.

The van wound its way from Edmonton to Bragg Creek, stopping for the first night at Paddy's Flat Campground in Kananaskis's Elbow River Valley. With no running water, preparing a bottle for my 10-month-old daughter was challenging. Travelling with children requires preplanning. A parent simply cannot say, "Sorry, honey, you can't have your bottle tonight. Sleep tight."

I had brought a Thermos, so anywhere I stopped along the way I would get the hottest water possible and hope it would stay that way until bedtime. Luckily, Julie was past the stage of boiling the water each time to make formula, although I did have a backpacking stove if I became desperate.

The first night we settled in nicely. My four-year-old son, Benjamin, loved the idea of sleeping in the van. To him, there was nothing better than biking around the campground and having my full attention. We were away from phone calls and computers and interruptions. He snored all night while I slept rather lightly, amazed that I had managed to re-shuffle a playpen, excer-saucer, three large bags of clothes and toys and a stroller in a manner that allowed us to still breath.

From there we went deeper into Kananaskis Country to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. With full showers and a small restaurant (Boulton Creek), we decided to stay a few nights. We enjoyed the evening ranger interpretation at the outdoor amphitheatre and had some great walks around the lower Kananaskis Lakes. It was prime grizzly season, though, so I was careful to make lots of noise and to keep my eyes open.

One of the greatest challenges (for me) was showering. Such a simple luxury did not come easily, or often. In order for me to shower in the campground showers, I would place Julie into a kid-carrier backpack and bring her beside the shower. My son sat close by on a bench and entertained her with silly faces and Cheerio bribes.

I hovered under the water, with one hand scrubbing while the other balancing the backpack that contained my daughter. Needless to say, I didn't mind that the camp showers timed out after five minutes. Five minutes seemed like an eternity.

The backpack was a godsend during our hikes and walks in Kananaskis and as our journey continued into Radium, B.C., and on to Panorama and Invermere. My son loved the independence that came with riding his bike up and down mountain hills and even through the streets of Radium as we searched for ice cream shops.

We were disappointed to hear of the seemingly large number of bear and cougar sightings (and attacks). One day in Radium, we discovered a playground. After chatting with some local moms, I asked about hikes in the area. They looked at each other with concern and told me that it just wasn't safe for me to do with the kids. We were disappointed, but turned our sights to the Radium Hotsprings, which aren't too hot for children, and then to the infamous Radium Goat House.

The Goat House is truly one-of-a-kind; Rolf, the goat house owner, creates wood carvings with a surprisingly articulate tool: a chainsaw. He has two goats named Goofy and Spoofy, and is a self-proclaimed mountain man. His

carvings adorn his craft-shop/house, which has a grassy roof that feeds his pet goats.

In one area of his home there are numerous doors with messages on them, such as "emergency exit for beautiful women" and other similarly enticing statements. But once you open the door, a surprising blast of water quickly alleviates you of any pride. The most surprising door said "welcome to the rainforest."

As I cautiously turned the door handle, a full blast of water drenched my entire body and my son fell to the ground laughing while my daughter, now wet too, chimed in with baby-pitched squeals.

Being the only adult in charge does create some strain. One night I parked our home on wheels at the ski parking lot in Panorama. Ben and Julie were comfortably sleeping when the otherworldly and deep howl of wolves began to swallow the mountain air. Though I knew we were physically safe inside the walls of the van, the animal sound of the howls left me awake all night.

Despite the added responsibilities, I will always remember Julie and Ben playing in the muddy banks of Quarry Lake, a great swimming hole in Canmore near the Nordic Centre. And as we returned home past the Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Thompson Highway, hugged on one side by mountains and on the other by Abraham Lake with its 32 kilometres of impossibly blue reservoir water, I felt stronger as a parent and more attuned to my children.

We had spent time outdoors, in the open air and, well, having the ability to just play.

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IF YOU GO

- Reading: Canadian Rockies with Kids: Exploring the Canadian Rockies with Children by Scott Regehr and Philip Smith. For a hiking book that covers must-do hikes, try Classic Hikes of the Canadian Rockies by Graeme Pole.

- Things to bring: I don't think I could have done it without a good, comfortable backpack to carry my daughter in. Strollers just won't cut it. A Thermos and stove are important for those who need to heat up milk or formula, and wipes are great for all the messes that are bound to happen.

- Cellphones often don't work in parts of the mountains, so have quarters and dimes on hand in case of emergencies.

Always heed bear warnings and check with ranger stations and park officers about animal activity. Make lots of noise (easy with children) and store food properly.

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